Artificial arm



Oct. 30,1923.

F. A. KENNEY ARTIFICIAL ARM Filed 0611. 19, 1922 gnuenkm flank A. Keane u.

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ARTIFICIAL ARM.

Application filed October 19, 1 22. Serial No. 595,555.

To (:Z? whom it may con-0cm:

' Be it known that I, FRANK A. KENNEY, a citizen of the United States, ifiSltllIlQ at the city and county of Denver and State of =idolorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Arms; and it do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a )art of this specification.

This invention relates to artificial arms and has special reference to improvement in the means employed for holding the arm in place on the body.

I have found that great difficulty is experienced by wearers of artificial arms due to the fact that when strain is put upon them in certain directions they will readily pull off from the arm. Especially is this true when the strain is in an upward direction, as for example in holding onto a strap in a street car, and to the same extent when litfing with the body in bent-over or stoo ed position, and only to a. lesser extent wien the strain is exerted in a direction which requires the arm to be put across the back.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved means for supporting the arm and. securing it to the body which will enable the wearer to exert force in directions which would cause the arm to be pulled loose if secured by ordinary means.

I shall not attempt to describe the prior art, but will describe my invention in detail, reference being had for this purpose to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 shows a front view of a man having an artificial arm held in place by my improved securing means;

Fig. 2 is a view from the back and shows the artificial arm in position across the back;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing the arm in the usual position for doing work; and

Fig. 4 is a rear View showing the arm downwardly and forwardly inclined.

The same reference numerals will be used to designate the same parts throughout the several views.

Numeral 1 represents the torso of a man and 2 the right arm, which has been amputated between the elbow and the wrist. Secured to the right arm is an artificial arm comprising two hinged sections 3 and 4 articulated at 5. The upper section 3 is laced at 6 in the usual way. As I do not claim any novelty in the artificial arm per se, I shall not describe the same in detail more thanisnecessary in order to define my invention. which, as above intimated, resides in the harness or means by which the artificial arm is secured to the torso and prevented from being pulled off the arm 2 when subjected to strain.

Fastened to the upper section 3 on the side next to the body by means of a pivot 7 is a loop 8, and to the outer side of the section is pivotally secured a strap 9 carrying a buckle 10, to which is adjustably secured the flattened end of the round strap 11 which extends upwardly, passing through a loop 12 on the end of the web 13, thence downwardly through loop 8 and under the arm to the other end 14: of the web 13. T he web 13 extends upwardly over the front of the right shoulder (Figs. 1 and 3), thence downwardly across the back under the left arm 2), thence upwardly and over the left shoulder (F ig. 1), thence downwardly across the back (F igs. 2 and l), and has secured to the end 14 the round strap 11. Fastened to the web 13 at the left shoulder blade is a web 15 carrying a buckle 16, which co-operates with the flattened end portion 17 of the round cord 18, which passes through loops 19 and 20 and has its end secured to the arm 21 of the hook 22. jaws of the hook in the manner common. By fastening the end of cord 18 to the web 13 back of the left shoulder blade, I am able to control the jaws of the hook without the necessity of providing an extra loop around the left shoulder, and with more efficient use of the operating cord 18 than is possible when a separate loop is employed on the left shoulder, in the manner commonly done. It is evident from Figs. 2, 3 and 4 that the cord 18 will engage the right shoulder blade in many positions of the arm and that therefore the cord can be tensioned with. the arm in many differentpositions. An examination of the drawings will make it clear that the arm will be held in place on the stub regardless of the direction of the pull and that there is no bind- The function of cord 18 is to open-the good results be obtained, but I prefer to have the harness made in the manner shown;

.It is obviously impossible to describe the actual positions assumed by the various parts 7 for every position of the arm, but the drawing shows the parts in several different positions, and the others can readily be conloop. I

; 2. An artificial arm comprising a section ceived of.

It is apparent from the above that by substituting for the usual harness having a pad on the rightshoulder, one in which the ends of the web 13 terminate one in front and the other on the back of the right shoulder, and by joining said ends by a cord 11 which passes through loop 8 on section 3 and through a'loop 12 on the front end of webbing 13 and which is adjustably and pivotally attached to section 3 by means of buckle 10, I obtain results that are new 'and which enable the wearer to use the arm treely in any direction without danger of having the artificial arm pull loose.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. An artificial arm comprisinga section adapted to be laced to the upper arm, a loop on the side of said section next to the body, a web passing around the shoulder on the other side of the torso, crossing in the back, one end passing over the shoulder next to the artificial arm section, the other end terminating at the rear of the shoulder blade near the artificial arm, and a cord join-ing said ends and sli'dably connected to said adapted to be laced to the upper arm, a loop on the side of said section next to the body, a web passing around the shoulder on the other side of the torso, crossing in the back,

, one end passing over the shouldernext to the artificial arm section, the other end terminating ,at the rear of the shoulder blade near the artificial arm, a cord joining said ends and slidably connected to said loop, and means for adjusting the tension near the artificial arm, accord joining said" ends and slidably connected to said loop, and

means for adjusting the tension in said cord, said means comprising a buckle secured to the outside of said section and adapted to cooperate with the end of the cord.

4. An artificial armromprising a section adapted to be laced to the upper arm, loop on the side of said section next to the body, a Web passing around the shoulder on the other side of the torso, crossing in the back, one end passing over the shoulder next to the artificial arm section, said end being provided with a loop, the otherend terminating at the rear of the shoulder blade nearest to the artificialarni, a cord connected to said last named end, said cord passing through the loop on the arm section under the arm, through the loop on the web, thence downwardlyflto the arm section, and a buckle pivotallyiconnected to said arm section and co-operating with said cord for adjustment purposes,

nectionwith an artificial arm "for the purpose of holding thes'arne in place, comprising a web "formed intermediate its ends with a loop adaptedto'encircle the shoulder tarthest tronr. the artificial arm, one end of said 'web being adapted to pass over the shoulder nearest the artificial arinand being provided with a lo'op,the other end being adapted to terminate'at the rear of the shoulder nearest the artifieial arm, and means secured to the loop portion below the point where the webs cross tor attaching a hook operating cord;

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANK A, irnrmnr o. Aharness-adapted to be used in con- 

